Author: Gary Garth, Special to USA TODAY

If you hope to camp this year, then heed the advice of park officials across the country. Plan early and reserve a camping spot as soon as possible.

Why camp in winter? There’s a lot more terrain to explore when the trees are bare. Here’s what you need to do to have fun and stay warm.

Did you know that Niagara Falls actually consists of three falls and that it’s a state park that doesn’t charge an admission fee?

Outdoor recreation – camping, hiking, biking, boating, fishing, wildlife watching and more – was social distancing before it had a name.

The COVID-19 situation is serious, shifting, uncertain and unnerving. Solitude under an open sky isn’t a cure but it can work wonders.

Primitive camping – referred to simply as camping pre-glamping – is just you, a tent, light source, sleeping gear, camp stove, water filter and food.

Whether your idea of fun is camping, fishing, kayaking, hiking orbiking, there’s something for everyone at this year-round,476-acre Missouri park.

If the scenery in Netflix’s “Ozark” appeals to you, Missouri’s Echo Bluff State Park can provide the natural beauty without all the man-made drama.

“Fly-rodding for bass is just another way of throwing a lure out there,” says Orvis’ TomRosenbauer. “It’s not some black art. It’s another kind of fishing rod.”

Expert fishermen share tips on prime-bass fishing spots and what equipment to use to catch bass with a fly rod. (Don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it.)